Games which are played by a plurality of players respectively connected to a game apparatus via communication networks, such as telephone circuit, etc., the so-called online games are noted as a new category of games. An example of such games is an online game in which respective players produce their own characters and connect to a communication network to make a team of their characters to make adventures. In the online game, making the adventures, each player tries to reinforce his character by increasing his items by picking up rare items, exchanging items with other players or increasing his own power to level up.
Usually, a player has his own memory card. Not only in online games but also in many games, when he interrupts a game, he stores game data, such as his own character, etc. in his own memory card connected to a game apparatus, and when he resumes the game, he reads the game data from the memory card and resumes the game where he has interrupted the game.
Usually, for an online game, the so-called offline mode in which the online game can be played without being connected to a communication network is prepared. The offline mode is used to practice the online game to know the outline of the online game or to raise in advance the level of the game player to some extent. Usually, game data, such as his own character data, etc., are changed by the offline game, and the changed game data can be stored in the memory card. The game player takes part in the online game, using the stored character data.
As a new mode for playing in the offline mode is proposed a multimode in which a plurality of players gather at one place, and the characters of the plurality of players make a team to make adventures without connecting to a communication network. Such multimode, if realized, permits friends to enjoy playing games without being conscious of the communication fees.
However, a number of the memory slots of the game apparatus is limited and is often insufficient for a number of the players. Furthermore, if the control of the game data is simply common between the online mode and the offline mode, players might unfairly obtain items or power up their own characters. A new game control method for controlling a game is required so as to solve such inconveniences.
An object of the present invention is to provide a game control method which is suitable for the offline mode of a game which a plurality of players take part in.